Fuselage



A. ELMENDORF.

FUSELAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 19, 1920.

Patented Apr. 27 1920.

Illuma Application filed January 19,-192o. Serial No. 852,368.

To all whom itinay concern Be it known that I, ARMIN ELMENDORF, a

citizen of the United States of America,- in the county of Dane residing at Madison, and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F uselages, of which the following is a specification. a

My. invention relates to improvements in fuselages for aeroplanes, cars for dirigibles, and bodies for similar vehicles composed of superposed plies of veneer an other-materials'.

' a fuselage of p y direction of the grain of 'An object of my invention is the construeplywood fuselage which is light I tion of. a, and at the resistance same time possesses the maximum to stresses and to weaknesses resulting from atmospheric changes.

A further object of my invention is the construction of a fuselage of a form which will have the minimum resistance to the air.

A further object of my invention f is the 'roduction of a fuselage having a balanced construction which results from having the grain of contiguous plies of veneer at right angles, which prevents distortion when the plies are subjected I of the atmosphere. I have found by ex periment that plywood constructed of plies in which the gram of contiguous plies cross ,at an angle other than at substantially 90 is subject to serious warping due to the unbalanced distribution of the internal stresses setup by changes in moisture content.

A still further lywood in which'the grain e longitudinal plies runs with the longiof the fuselage,'which is the maximum stress, and in which the circumferential plies which are vwoundas a ribbon around the longitudi nal plies runs at' right angles to'the grain of the longitudinal plies.

' These and further ob'ects are attained in the construction which shall describe, this particular form of construction being of th tudinal axis ferring to the drawings, I 1 isas'ide elevation of my fuse- Flare lagd 'd'y with the outerfla-ye'rs'shown'incomplete better to illustrate'the construction. m

" Fig. 2 is'a' slightly enlarged vertical crosssection.- v 1 woods such as spruce,

to changes of humidity 'andis caused to set object is the production of lected merely to illustrate a method of fuselageeconstruction.

- same as .of the 4 Specification ot Patent. Patented 27, 192 0.

Fig. 3 is'an'enlarged .fra mentary'drosssection of a modified form 0 fuselage.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fr entary cross; section of another modifie form of fusela e. a v H 0 build a fuselage body-embodying my invention, I place built on conventional stream line form, plies of veneer 2 cut with a proper taper and with the grain running longitudinally of the plies. I may use any of the lowdensity white pine or redwood forall the Veneer plies however, other woods ma be used. The joints of these plies ma scarfed, if desired, in the conventiona manner. These plies may be of any convenient width, but I have found that plies two to four inches wide are practicable. In the fuselage construction illustrated, the veneer plies are all of substantially the same thickness, but the ratio of plythickness may be varied to suit special bulkhead or other internal bracing.

To facilitate the handling of the work, the core may be mounted by means oftrun- 'nions 3 so that it may be turned on these trunnions as'a drum. This first layer is then strapped to the core and is covered with glue, after which a second veneer ply 4 with the rain circumferential is wound on this first ply as a ribbon is wound on a spool,

manner. The circumferential plyis now.

covered with glue-as was the longitudinal ply and a second longitudinal ply 5 having the grain longitudinal is placed on the ciron a collapsible'mold lby pressure in-the usual cumferen'tial ply in the same manner as ply 1 was applied. -This second longitudinal ply is now-covered with of cotton or other fabric is 'wra ped the entire length of the fuselage. he three plies and t e tape covering ma bestrapped or clamped by any of the well-known means until the glue has firmly'set, when the colv.lapsible core may be, removed.

Openings may be cutin the fuselage at the proper places for 'a pilot and an observer, ifdesired, and the front may -be cut away in a manner to e ine used- -f or motive power.

Fig.3, the manner of construction is the fuselage shown in Fig. 1. 7 next'tothemold consists The inner layer 1 of plies of veneer of. the same character as glue and a tape 6 accommodate the n .the modified form of fuselage shown plies 2. On this ply 7 after it has been covered With'glue is wound a fabric cover- 8 which is secured in the same manner as covering 6. ,Afte'nthe covering 8 has been coated with glue, a veneer ply 9 with the grain circumferential is Wound on. This ply is covered with glue and another fabric 10 is wound on and glued. To this covering a longitudinal ply 11 is attached in the same way as ply 5 and then covered with a fabric 12 the same as fabric 6.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 1, a fabric covering is not used except as the outer covering of the fuselage. In this form a-longitudinal ply 13 is. covered by a circumferential ply 14: which is covered by a longitudinal ply 15 which is followed by a cir-' cumferential ply 16 and then a longitudinal 'ply 17 which is covered with a fabric ply 18 similar to fabric covering 6.

Glue is applied and the plies are clamped to produce-the fuselage shown in Figs. 3

and 4 in the same manner as to produce the.

fuselage illustrated in Fig. 1.

WVhile I have illustrated a fuselage elliptical in cross-section, the major axis being 7 vertical of the fuselage when it is placed in position to be used, I do not limit myself to this form of fuselage as other shapes may be made in accordance with my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A fuselage comprising a hollow body formed of a plurality of veneer plies, the inner placed longitudinally, the second, circumferentially, and the third longitudinally of the fuselage.

2. A fuselage comprising a hollow body formed of a plurality of veneer plies, the inner placed longitudinally and having the rain of said inner ply running longitudinally of the fuselage, the second, circumning longitudinally of the fuselage,

- tudinally 31 A fuselage comprising a hollow body formed of a plurality of veneer plies glued.

together, the inner placed longitudinally and having the grain of said inner ply runthe second, circumferentially and having the grain of said second ply running at an angle of approximately 90 to the grain of the inner ply, and the third, longitudinally of the fuselage and having the grain of said third ply running longitudinally of the fuselage. i

4. A fuselage comprising a hollow body formed of a longitudinal layer consisting of veneer plies placed adjoining each other, a circumferential layer consisting of veneer plies wound as a continuous strip, the edges thereof adjoining each other, a longitudinal layer consisting of veneer plies adjoining each other, and a fabric tape placed circumferentially of the second longitudinal ply and extending the entire length of the fuselage and attached to said longitudinal posed strips of veneer glued together, the inner and the outer of said strips placed longiof said body and having the grain substantially parallel with said strips, and wound circumferentially of the fuselage body, said second. and alternate inner strips having the grain thereof substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ARMIN ELMENDORF.

5. A fuselage body comprising super-' the second and alternate .inner strips 

